Improvement in grain-separators



C. B. NICHOLS.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Patented Nov. 30, 1875,

M w a W N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNEH, WASHINGTON. D C,

LNITED -S TATES .P 'I'EN OFFICE;

oHARLEsB. NICHOLS, OF freon, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-,SEPARATORS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. l70,584l. datedNovember 30, 1875; application filed October 20,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B.-NIGHOLS, of Troy, in the county ofBradford and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Grain-Separators and Fanning-Mills Combined; anddo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to. the letters of reference marked thereon, making a partof thisspecification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a grain-separator, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my grain-separator. 'Fig.2 is a view of the fan-shaft and gearing connected therewith. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section of an oat and buckwheat screen used in connectionwith my separator.

A represents the frame of m y grain-separator, constructed in anysuitable manner to contain the various parts thereof. At the rear end ofthe frame is the ordinary fandrum B, and in the top is the hopper G.This hopper is hinged at the rear end, and supported by resting on theframe A, or for certain purposes the front end of the hopper issupported upon hinged bars I) b having their lower ends forked andresting on pins a a. The bottom D of the hopper G is made flat or levelwith a discharge-opening, 61, at each end, and within the hopper is useda false inclined bottom, E, having an opening, 0, at one end. When thehopper is down flat on the frame of the separator the inclined bottom Eis placed so that its opening 0 will be directly over the reardischarge-opening of the hopper-bottom D, as represented in the drawing;but when the hopper is elevated at its front end the false bottom E willbe turned around and the front discharge-opening in the hopper-bottomused. When the hopper is used in this position a double zinc screen, GG, shown in Fig. 3, is used, said double screen being inclined from thefront downward and rearward. The upper front end rests on a wire frame,f, attached to the shoe H, said shoe being suspended in the usual mannerby spring-straps h h. The screens G are provided at their lower end witha spout, G for carrying off oats and buckwheat, while the wheat fallsdown on an inclined board, G

and from thence onto the sieves I I in the top part of the shoe H. Whenthe screens G are. not used the grain falls directly onto the sieves I,and ineither case from said sieves onto an intermediate sieve, J, asshown. The foul grain which does not pass through the sieves I iscarried off through spouts either on the same or opposite sides of thefanning-mill. The oats and buckwheat, passing over the screens G, whenthese are used, pass through the spout G, out through a spout, t", asshown. From the intermediate sieve J the grain passes onto the bottomsieves K K, which grade the wheat into two qualities'No. l and N0. 2.Under the 'lower end of the bottom sieve K is an inclined board, L, withhinged valve L,

which may be opened to convey the grain into a drawer, M, underneath,while the other quality of wheat is taken out in the usual manner.During thepassage of the grain over and through these screens and sievesit is acted upon by a blast of air from the fan N within the drum B.This fan is constructed in the usual manner of a series of wingsattached to radial arms; but in my case these radial arms project from acenter tubc, k, which is placed loosely on a shaft, m, and from thisshaft motion is communicated to all the various parts of the mill. Onone end of the shaft m is a pinion, n, that gears with a cog-wheel, O,mounted upon a stud, and provided with a crank, O, as shown, wherebymotion is communicated to the shaft m. 0n the other end of the shaft mis a pinion, p, which gears with a pinion, p, on the outer end of ashort shaft below the fan-shaft m. In the pinion p is attached a pitman,s, which extends upward and connects with an arm, 8 projecting from oneend of a shaft, 8 at the rear end of the frame. In the center of thisshaft is another arm, s which, by a rod, 8 is connected with the sievesI, so as to give them an up and down reciprocating motion. This rod 8 isconnected with the screens G also, when a rod or pitman, '0 connectswith an arm, a,

projecting from a rocky-shaft, 'vfland another arm, '0 from said shaftis, by a rod, 12 connected with the sieve K. The frames of the twosieves K and K are connectednear their upper end by means of rockingarms to, whereby, as the sieve K is moved in one direction, the sieveKwillbe moved in the opposite direction, and viceversa.

It will thus beseen that the various sieves have a reciprocating motionindependent of the shaking or vibrating motion imparted to them bythemovement of the shoe.

The fan-tube It has at one end a slot, at, which is placed over a pin,3], on the shaft m, so that the fan will be revolved directly by themotion of said shaft. This gives the fan a comparatively slow motion, asrequired in simply screening grain. For chafling grain more wind isrequired, andto obtain the same without increasing the speed of theshaft m I provide the tubek at the opposite end from the slot :1: with apinion, a, and by;moving the fan bodily endwise on the shaft the slot asis removed from oil the pin y, and the pinion a thrown in gear with thepinion or cog-wheel 0, above described. By this means the fan is rotatedfrom the shaft m through the medium of the gearing p p, v, and a, givingit a more rapid motion.

purposes herein set forth. i y i 3. The combination of the sieves K K",rock p ing arms w w connecting the same, rod "0 a rocking shaft '0 witharms'v 1:,pitman c and, pinion v, all substantially as and for th e perHaving thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Inagrain-separator,thehinged hopper- 0, provided with front and reardischargeopenings dd and hinged bars b b, in combinafor the purposesherein set forth.

2. The reversible inclined false charge-openings, substantially asaudfor the poses herein set forth.

4. Ina fanning-m herein set forth.

5. Thecombination of the shaftjmwithfpin set forth.

In testimony that I claim theforegoingl have hereunto set myhandthislfithdayof October, 1875.

Witnesses J. M. MASON, O. M. ALEXANDER.

bottom E, having opening a, in combination with the hinged hopper (J,havingfront and rear disll, the combination of th e I fan-shaft m andthe fan N, provided with a central tube, k, placed loosely on theisha ttand movable endwise thereon, for thepurposes CHARLES B. NICHOLS.

